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JCapper 101
-- Form Cycle

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Form Cycle

notchback
3/11/2009
1:45:07 PM

Quick question,

I don't see a way to filter out multiple form cycle factors. I do see that I can set min/max but there are occasions that I would like to include a few and exclude others.

Is there a work-around for this? For example:

I would like to include FC 2, 4, 6 and exclude the others.

I am thinking along the lines of the way you can select certain tracks, classes or running styles.

Thanks for the insight.

Doug

~Edited by: notchback on: 3/11/2009 at: 1:45:07 PM~

jeff
3/11/2009
2:09:46 PM

quote:
I would like to include FC 2, 4, 6 and exclude the others.

Use separate UDMs... something along the lines of:


UDM Name      Description
--------      --------------------------
FC2           Contains filter codes: 
              FCYCLEMIN02   avoid form cycle < 2
              FCYCLEMAX02   avoid form cycle > 2
              and flags FormCycle = 2 only



FC4           Contains filter codes: 
              FCYCLEMIN04   avoid form cycle < 4
              FCYCLEMAX04   avoid form cycle > 4
              and flags FormCycle = 4 only



FC6           Contains filter codes: 
              FCYCLEMIN06   avoid form cycle < 6
              FCYCLEMAX06   avoid form cycle > 6
              and flags FormCycle = 6 only

Once you have the base template set up... where everything in the UDM Def is defined except FormCycle... use the CLONE UDM button to create a clone of the template and add FCYCLE preset filters to each clone.

-jp

.

~Edited by: jeff on: 3/11/2009 at: 2:09:46 PM~

notchback
3/11/2009
2:29:38 PM

Thanks Jeff,

I was hoping I could do it in one UDM, but I will go down a different path. I appreciate the response.

Has there ever been any thought into adding "IF,THEN, AND, OR", etc. conditions to queries or UDM factor selection?

Most relational databases I use at my job use these. I'm just curious.

Thanks again,

Doug

~Edited by: notchback on: 3/11/2009 at: 2:29:38 PM~

jeff
3/11/2009
8:25:20 PM

OR conditionals have been discussed before.

Bottom line:

From inside of JCapper - in most instances - OR conditionals translate to using multiple UDMs.

Adding OR conditionals to JCapper (beyond specific new preset filters that perform an OR conditional on the single factors that they handle) is not going to happen any time soon. Doing so would require me to do a complete rewrite of all of the internal logic within the Data Window and Profile Marker - basically the same thing as scrapping those two modules and starting over from scratch - along with doing away with the current info model for playlist and quick index files and porting that info into tables of 255 fields each.

Don't get me wrong - that WOULD have been the ideal info model right from the beginning - HAD I known JCapper was going to become a commercial enterprise.

My initial vision for JCapper was that it would be my own home grown program. Five years ago I never dreamed it would take on a life of its own or that the first early version of it would evolve the way it has over the years.

That said - there are a number of people who ARE doing their own database work with JCapper data from outside of JCapper.

Some are importing JCapper playlist files into Excel 2007. Some are breaking up playlist file data into chunks of 255 fields each and importing into either Excel 2003 or Access. From there one can use VBA code and/or macros to manipulate the data in many different ways - including OR conditionals.

And at least one user that I know of is importing JCapper data into SAS.

If that sounds like a lot of work you'd be right... it is. But it's actually less work than what I'd have to go through to add OR conditionals to JCapper.

Which means that if you want to use OR conditionals from within JCapper - think in terms of multiple UDMs - which aside from taking extra time to conceptualize and set up - is actually a strategy that works just fine.

Hope that makes sense,

-jp

.

~Edited by: jeff on: 3/11/2009 at: 8:25:20 PM~

notchback
3/11/2009
4:38:07 PM

That does make sense. Thank you for the background information.

I wish I had the skills to further manipulate the data outside of Jcapper, but I don't. Nor do I have the time if I did...

I will start thinking in terms of multiple UDM's and maybe organizing them into sub-sets.

I've noticed some combinations of UDM's that seem to work well together. In particular I have a negative expectation UDM that, when combined with another UDM, seems to nail more than a fair share of long shots. I would love to dig into them and find out "why" it seems to be an effective combination for longshots but I am afraid if I change anything, I will mess it up :-)

Which brings up another thought/wishlist item...

How realistic would it be to be able to run UDM combinations through the data window?

jeff
3/11/2009
7:10:24 PM

How to run multiple UDMs in combination with each other through the Data Window...

Use the Data Window's Create New Quick Index File Export option.

In the Data Window:

1. Click MENU, select EXPORTS, and then select QUICK INDEX FILE - CREATE NEW FILE. Then answer YES at the prompt and use the dialog box to provide a name for the new quick index file you are about to create. Doing this activates/toggles "on" an export where results for the next query that you run are written to a new quick index file. Or in other words, a new quick index file will be created and it will contain only those starters returned by the next Data Window query that you run.

2. Select a UDM from the drop down, hit the UDM button, and run the UDM through the Data Window as you normally would. As the query runs the Data Window will be creating a new quick index file that contains only those starters fitting the UDM Def of the UDM currently being run through the Data Window.

3. After the first UDM has been run through the Data Window, select a second UDM from the drop down, hit the UDM button, and open the quick index file created in steps 1 and 2 above.

The results you get back in step 3 will be exactly the same as if you had combined the first UDM and the second UDM into a single UDM!

-jp

.

notchback
3/11/2009
7:27:13 PM

Sweet! Thanks Jeff!

3/12/2009
12:59:19 PM

Jeff,

It shows that you replied at 8:25... I don't see a post. Glitch?

Edit Reply

jeff
3/12/2009
4:58:07 PM

Not really a glitch... the logic written into my code had the board displaying me as having the author of the most recent post in this thread because I went back and edited one of my previous posts for some spelling errors.

However... seeing the post just prior to this one without an author... THAT has me a little concerned!

-jp

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JCapper 101 -- Form Cycle

JCapper 101
-- Form Cycle